The operation of many hand tools, such as circular saws, jig saws, or routers, and the like, is facilitated for some tasks through the attachment of an adjustable guide rail to the housing of the and tool, for guiding the hand tool in a path that is parallel to an edge of a work piece. In general, such adjustable guide rails for hand tools include an elongated blade which is inserted into a slot in the housing of hand tool and locked in place. A guide portion of the adjustable guide rail, having a slot therein for receipt of the elongated blade, is then moved along the elongated blade to place an edge guide portion of the guide in proper position to abut the edge of a work piece to be cut or worked by the hand tool.
In general, the guide portion of prior adjustable guide rails for hand tools is locked to the elongated blade of the adjustable guide rail by a screw, which must be loosened in order to move the guide along the elongated blade. In order to lock the screw securely enough in place to prevent movement of the guide along the elongated blade, during operation of the hand tool, it is often necessary to tighten the screw with a screwdriver, an allen wrench, or other appropriate tool. The necessity for using such tools to make adjustments to the guide rail is undesirable. Adjustment arrangements utilized in prior adjustable guide rails also typically do not provide a means for readily incrementally adjusting the position of the guide along the elongated blade.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved apparatus and method for providing guidance of a hand tool with respect to the edge of a work piece.